Hi, this time from Lviv, the West cultural capital of Ukraine:
Last Wednesday, it was incredibly sunny here. The great weather was not the only reason the day was special for Lvivanians. There were lights of all the cameras following A-List Hollywood star Tom Cruise who came to Ukraine to find locations for his new movie project.
The first stop on his way was Lviv. He also wanted to know about the Carpathians, according to Lviv mayor Andriy Sadoviy, who, of course, welcomed Mr. Cruise to the city.
Next day, on Tuesday, the film star was spotted at Kyiv’s Golden Gate metro station. Tom Cruise came to look into film locations in Kyiv at Zelensky’s invitation
In September, Ukraine’s unicameral parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, introduced a partial refund up to 25% of the qualifying expenses of film production in Ukraine for foreign filmmakers. Our president, Volodymyr Zelensky, told Cruise about the benefits of filming in Ukraine
Hopefully, Lviv and other locations in Ukraine will now be able to compete with Hungary and Budapest in attracting film producers from around the world and more people will enjoy the hospitality of both countries.
Here is what our president wrote on his official twitter after Mr. Cruise’s visit:
“I am glad to welcome in Kyiv actor, director and simply talented man – Tom Cruise. I invited him to Ukraine so that he could see with his own eyes how many interesting locations for cinema in our incredible country: modern urban landscapes, the old city, remnants of the Soviet past, quiet and cozy farms, fantastic picturesque scenery.
“I am glad that Ukraine is beginning to attract world cinema stars. I hope the law on compensation for foreign filmmakers, recently approved by parliament, will really open the door to Ukraine for world cinema. I am sure that this mission is possible!
“Thank you to Tom Cruise for the nice talk. Looking forward to seeing you again in Ukraine!”
That’s it for this week. Stay warm
photo: official Instagram of Volodymyr Zelenskiy zelenskiy_official